Could you imagine Marvel Wynne or O'Brien White getting racially abused in the BMO parking lot by a Toronto FC supporter? Not that I'm of the whole "there's no racism here, we live under Pierre Trudeau's beautiful multicultural rainbow where nothing ever goes wrong" school of Canadian self back-slappery, but let's just say if it happened, I suspect you would get headlines in every single national daily, weeks of op-eds about how racism persists in Canada, and anti-racist tifos in the south end that would make Dichio's tribute look like a bit of tissue paper.

And Sean Michelle had to deal with it:

"Did we go to win? Yes. But if you give up two goals in the first nine minutes, it's not going to happen. If you get a red card in the first half, that doesn't help. It was a learning experience.
"I'm not saying that I take the loss easy.

I don't know what to say. Van Jones has been picked off ... and Glenn Beck is maniacally happy, wherever he is. He is probably thinking that this indicates that he's in some way right. He ain't but nothing would convince him of that anyway. So, we move on, I guess.

Reading about Van Jones this morning, I find that I agree with him on many things .

[Photo: PhotoNews]As a sad note from last night's Anderlecht-Standard match, we must now crack open the unbelievable asshole files (Dutch link): it seems that during the contest, Mauves defender Jelle Van Damme thrice called U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu a 'dirty ape'.If you can understand/follow French, here is a video interview with the Standard center back.

Is anyone surprised that Beckham got all pissy last night after he was coldly welcomed by to Los Angeles by Galaxy supporters? He probably cried about it later that night in his mega-million dollar mansion.
(Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images / July 19, 2009)
You have to wonder why this guy doesn't understand that when you "commit" to a club and it's fans, then force a loan for selfish reasons that causes you to miss over half the season, then come back and again "commit" to a club and it's fans, you won't generally be treated well.

Where to even begin. I guess I should let Ella tell the story in her own words:

Overall, the coolest part of this camp was being able participate in Read for America. Read for America is a volunteer program where "celebrities" go to a local school and read a couple books to some classrooms.

No Phillies game last night - and the Red Sox got pounded. Love the Sox, but Josh Beckett? Not so much. If games like last night taught him some humility, I'd come around. But most likely, it'll just sharpen his already nasty, cocky edge. You're a dink ... and thinking about you is just getting my morning off to a bad start!

First I cut you, not because you couldn't play, but because you're an asshole like me, and there could be only one jerk in this town. Then, you went to Toronto, and I thought that was that. And then you went to the Fire, and became Goalkeeper of the Year last year. And then I ended you in the playoffs.

I'm tempted to say it was dark, but it wasn't; it was just darker than I expected. The book was dark. The book was a kind of mildewy cave of rhetoric that, not unlike Brian Clough himself, could have happily contained your wine collection. The movie was...well, it was a celebration of friendship.

Hello Dave. I am the HAL-9000 computer. I have a message for you. I could not reveal this message to you until the final day of 2009 for security reasons of the highest importance, but now that 2010 is almost upon us, it can be told to you. During the next year, the largest sports spectacle on Earth will be held on the continent of Africa.